Existing security alarm systems, including premise alarm systems and vehicle alarms, consist primarily of a panel or controller that houses an electronic controller (typically referred to as the “panel” in premise alarm systems), and sensors distributed throughout the monitored premise or vehicle but connected back to the security system controller, or panel, for the purpose of detecting an intrusion event, or other reportable event, whereupon the security system controller reports the event to a centralized alarm monitoring system or gateway to centralized alarm monitoring system via wired or wireless communications channels.
Using a premise alarm system as an example only, one method of defeating such typical security alarm systems is for an intruder to quickly enter the premises and destroy the premise's security system controller panel before the intrusion event can be reported. This is commonly referred to in the trade as “crash and smash”. This is possible because typical alarm panels delay reporting an entry event for a period of time to permit an authorized person to cancel the intrusion event by entering an authorized code into a keypad associated with the panel. U.S. Pat. No. 7,619,512 (the '512 patent) illustrates an existing method to attempt to address the crash and smash issue. Rather than delaying the sending of an intrusion event, the system described by the '512 patent immediately sends the intrusion event signal and if the user enters a valid cancellation code into a keypad within an allotted time then the alarm event is canceled at the remote alarm receiver. In other words, an immediate intrusion signal is sent and if it isn't followed by a deactivation within a set time, then the alarm panel is assumed to have been attacked. One problem with the system described by the '512 patent is that the security premise alarm system panel tampering is an assumption, leaving open the opportunity for false alarms, which can be costly and wasteful for both the user and the civil authorities.
The concepts described herein improve upon prior art by providing explicit detection and reporting of a crash and smash tampering attempt upon a security premise alarm system panel, thereby mitigating the possibility of false alarms.